The 11- and 12-year-olds advanced all the way to the Southern California championship series after a month-long baseball run that including 10 consecutive victories, but the end came Sunday in a 5-0 loss to Eastlake of Chula Vista to finish a two-game sweep before an overflow crowd at Stearns Champions Park.

Eastlake (13-0) advances to the Western Regional in San Bernardino — the last stop before the World Series in Williamsport, Pa. — while Sherman Oaks South (10-2) can only ponder the what-ifs.

“I just love this team, and I’ve loved the ride,” Sherman Oaks infielder Charlie Mendez said. “Eastlake is a good team, and their pitching was just outstanding.”

Sherman Oaks South went hitless over the final four innings and advanced a total of one runner past first base.

“We just ran into a team of monsters from top to bottom. Eastlake was just outstanding,” Sherman Oaks South manager Chris Dollard said.

“Their pitching was great and just so consistent, and our hitters were just stumped. It’s by far the best pitching we’ve faced.”

Sherman Oaks South advanced the furthest in the league’s 51-year history.

Eastlake built a three-run lead in the first inning on Nick Mura’s two-run homer, followed by Giancarlo Cortez’s solo shot.

From there, Sherman Oaks South right-hander Stephen Richardson found his groove, retiring nine of the next 11 before Eastlake rallied in the fourth to pad the lead to 5-0.

With two outs, pinch-hitter Charlie Peterson single to right, followed by Micah Wiggs’ line-drive two-run homer over the left-field fence — his second in as many days — prompting Tyler Cox to come on in relief.

Sherman Oaks South’s Noah Taylor doubled up the gap in right-center with one out in the first, but Mura pitched his way out of it. The right-hander got R.J. Schreck on a grounder, then Richardson flied deep to center for the third out.

Mura also went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and Wiggs was 1 for 1 with two walks. In the two-game series, he reached base every at-bat except once.

Sherman Oaks South never threatened again. Mura, displaying a good fastball and a hard-breaking curve, got the win, going five innings with three hits allowed and eight strikeouts.

Sherman Oaks South had hit at least one home run every game until the series against Eastlake, which became the first District 42 team since Park View of Chula Vista in 2009 to win the Southern California championship.

Ryan Dollard singled in the second for Sherman Oaks South, and Charlie Stern added a single in the third.